My Genealogy Hound

A. K. HAYDEN is the fifth son of Elijah and Hulda (Scott) Hayden; the former a native of Allegheny county, Pa., who, when eighteen years of age, left the paternal roof to seek his fortune in distant lands. He traveled through most of the states north of the Mason and Dixon line, and for some time, also, was engaged in the lead mines of Illinois, and the gold mines of California, and was at different times engaged in farming, owning at one time two thousand acres of land in Cass and Adams counties, Iowa. Mr. Hayden was a great reader, and upon all the current topics of the times was a very well informed man. In politics he was at first a republican, but became a democrat before the war. He believed the war to be unnecessary and strongly advocated peace. He joined the Mormon church before his marriage.

A murder was committed in Lee county, Iowa, and suspicion rested upon the Hodge brothers, who were members of the Mormon church. Mr. Hayden was earnestly besought to swear that they did not enter the city that night, but, although that was the link of evidence which would release them he would not perjure himself in defense of the criminals or the church. Being convinced of the corruption which prevailed the Mormon church, of which he was a member, he separated himself from it. While in Nauvoo, he married Miss Hulda A. Scott, also a member of the Mormon church, but she left the church with her husband, and has since united with the Christian church. She was born in 1818 in Genesee county, N. Y. When at the age of fourteen she moved to Ohio, thence to Eel River Bottoms, Ind., and from there to Nauvoo, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Hayden’s marriage was blessed by seven children, viz. — Elijah, Byron, Leonard, Gila (deceased), Adrian K., Japhan and Huldah. Mr. Hayden, after an absence of fifty years from Allegheny county, Pa., returned to visit his old home in 1883 and there died.

A. K. Hayden, the subject of this memoir, is a native of Adams county, Iowa, and was born in 1855. In 1858 he moved to Cass county, and there engaged in farming and teaching. He came to Nebraska in 1883, continuing to teach and farm. Mr. Hayden inherited the inclination to read and inform himself on the topics of the day, and as a result is quite conversant on all subjects of public interest. He was a greenbacker until the dissolution of that party and has since been independent in politics. He was married in 1886, to Miss Mary Broat, a native of New York, who, in 1879, came with her parents to Buffalo county, Nebraska. To them one child has been born — Amelia Mabel. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hayden have been identified with the Christian church for several years.